Update: My Skin Care Routine!

Here’s another update on my skincare routine! This photo was one of my previous skincare routines. I’m still using the same face wash and benzoyl peroxide acne treatment. The 2 sunscreens pictured (LRP SPF 100, Altruist SPF 50)…I still have it and use it. Read more about it in this post! Lastly, I finished the Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10. I stopped purchasing it because I liked the Neutrogena BP product a lot more. It seems to work better on my acne.

Face Wash: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance-Free

I’m using the same face wash as before. Same old. It’s the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance-Free. This product seems to work for me. It doesn’t help with acne, but it doesn’t break me out. It works to cleanse my skin. It’s fragrance-free. I love the big bottle. It lasts for months. I tend to be very generous with the amount I use also, haha. But at least I’m using it. If it works, why fix it? I guess I’ll stick with it. 😀

Eye Care: Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream is moisturizing and affordable. It doesn’t do much for wrinkles or fine lines. I like using it because it leaves the skin around my eyes moisturized. It’s perfect for that. Once again, it’s affordable. I don’t feel like spending that much on an eye cream anyway. From my experience, they don’t do much but keep the skin around the eyes moisturized. This is good enough for now.

Acne Care: Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment 

I use Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment as an all-over acne treatment and a spot treatment. I’m leaning toward a spot treatment. But I use it as an all-over acne treatment when needed. My skin loooveesss benzoyl peroxide. Possibly the only acne product that works on my skin over so many years!

Sunscreen: Whatever sunscreen I have. *See the list below*

I’ve been experimenting with sunscreens. Here’s a list of sunscreens I use. I switch it up.

• La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100
• Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
• Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50
• Altruist SPF 50
• Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

I haven’t used Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 on my face in a while, but I thought I would toss it on the list of sunscreens to use. I like that it’s lightweight, a mineral sunscreen, and contains SPF 50. It’s not a full mineral sunscreen, but it’s better than nothing. This sunscreen works great as a makeup primer as well. It tends to dry out the skin a bit and accentuate dry patches though. That is why I’m not purchasing it again after I finish it.

I wish LRP SPF 100 was a mineral sunscreen. Too bad that it’s a chemical-based sunscreen. This sunscreen seems to work some days. On other days, it doesn’t. On the good days, it leaves my skin moisturized, smooth, and protected. I have no issues with it. On the bad days, it gives me really terrible headaches that it’s making me think if I should continue to use it. I haven’t used it since, but it’s there. I most likely won’t stick to this sunscreen when I finish it. Something is off about this sunscreen. The headaches are just so bad. Maybe it’s something else…I don’t know…

I’m only using Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 only on the skin around my eyes. It doesn’t dry it out or make it look bad. It works. I think I may have found a sunscreen for the eyes. Just not my face because it accentuates skin dryness, makes my skin flake, and just makes it look awful. I tried. It just didn’t work for me. It’s an affordable sunscreen to use around the eyes. Hey! Even my neck. And it’s a 100% mineral-based sunscreen. 🙂

Sometimes I use Altruist SPF 50. It’s a bit heavier on the skin. It leaves my skin greasy when used often. I might as well use it so it won’t go to waste. It’s a lot more moisturizing compared to my mineral sunscreens. It doesn’t give me a headache like the LRP SPF 100 does. Seems to work better during the colder months since it’s dryer.

So I haven’t spent a single dollar on a new sunscreen. I really still don’t feel like it. I think it’s a waste of money, especially when I have a bunch of sunscreens to finish. I’ll try my best to use what I have before I try another new sunscreen. This works for now, I guess.

Which Sun Care Products Am I Using Now? 🤔

I tried using mineral sunscreens, but it just didn’t work. So I’m still using Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 (mainly around my eye area) because it doesn’t sting my eyes compared to a chemical-based sunscreen. I might even purchase it again since it’s pretty affordable for a mineral sunscreen/skin care product. It seems to work on my skin. I haven’t had any allergic reactions to it. As for Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50, I stopped using it. Maybe I’ll use it as a makeup primer or something like it. It seems to work well for that purpose.

So what sunscreen am I using now? I went back to using a chemical-based sunscreen. Mineral sunscreens were so drying that it made my skin look parched and crusty. It made my makeup application look terrible. It accentuated every single dry skin and pore on my face too. Ugh! And fine lines and wrinkles. Chemical-based sunscreens are more moisturizing. SO! I started using La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 again. It’s the most moisturizing without making my face appear too greasy. I tried using Altruist SPF 50 again, but that sunscreen made my skin look even more greasy. I prefer La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 instead. My skin always looks good with this sunscreen. It’s a moisturizer + sunscreen in one. But, once again, I don’t use sunscreen every single day. I only use it when I’m outdoors exposed to UV rays.

All in all, it wouldn’t hurt to use up all of the sunscreens I have right now. I haven’t spent any money on sunscreens ever since I decreased my sunscreen use. Not that I’m not using it. I am. As I mentioned, I only use it when I’m exposed to UV rays…but also when my skin feels a bit dry from my acne cream. I really wish LRP would come out with a moisturizer like this (the SPF 100 sunscreen product) but without the SPF. I can only hope. Oh well. I’ll use whatever I have in the meantime.

My Updated Experience with Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 & How I’m Using Sunscreen

I’ve been using Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 for 1 week. I didn’t use it every day. I stopped using sunscreen every day. I only use it when my skin is directly exposed to the sun, which is when I’m outdoors. When I’m indoors, I don’t even bother. I’m pretty good at remembering when to wear sunscreen. I don’t need to make it a habit. I’ve been wearing sunscreen for so many years already. I decided to just leave my skin alone and not waste money on excessive use of sunscreen products. Also, I haven’t noticed much difference in my skin when doing this. My skin looks fine without using sunscreen every day when I’m indoors. I have curtains that block out the sun anyway. All I noticed when applying sunscreen every day even when indoors was a decrease in my bank account. That sucked. I’m glad I made this change.

From how things are going using sunscreen like this, my skin looks so much better. I haven’t experienced major breakouts. I was dealing with breakouts from mineral sunscreens and wondered if they caused clogged pores. Now I know that they do. I had to stop using mineral sunscreens until I find one that’s suitable for my skin type. If that ever happens, lol. In the meantime, I guess I’ll use what I have — Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50. I’m thinking about re-adding La Roche Posay SPF 100 back in my routine too since I don’t use SPF every day. I also quit re-applying unless I’m outdoors for long periods of time, which is very few days in a month. Yes, in a single month. Not a week. I’m rarely outdoors that much.

Here are my thoughts on Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50…

As mentioned earlier, I’ve been using Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 for 1 week. This sunscreen feels just like how I remembered it. It feels like a lightweight lotion when applied to the skin. It absorbs pretty well into the skin. I didn’t have any issues rubbing the product into my skin. I still have to watch the eye area because the sunscreen burns the eyes if it gets in it. It also burns the eyes if it gets near it. So! I used a mineral-based sunscreen for the eye area instead. At least I’m using up my mineral sunscreens!

Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 feels greasy on the skin with the proper amount of product. I wish that it wasn’t that greasy. It left my skin looking shiny all day. I love the UVA and UVB protection, but it feels heavy on the skin. My hair would stick to my face. Unfortunately, if it’s really hot, humid, my skin starts to over-react to the humidity. On top of that, I do have oily skin, which makes heavy products look extremely shiny on my skin. It’s going to get cooler sooner so that shouldn’t be a problem. Another issue I had with this sunscreen that I haven’t experience in a while is pilling. I was applying the sunscreen this morning (after having no issues), and it rolled off my face! I don’t even use that many products in the morning. Only a salicylic acid toner and benzoyl peroxide for acne. I don’t know what happened. I gave up using it for today and used La Roche-Posay SPF 100 instead. I’ll make an update on La Roche-Posay SPF 100 next time again.

See everyone there! 🙂

2 Months Experience!

Here’s my update for the week. I have a little bit of ‘free time’ to talk about my experience before it gets busy again. Here we go! Here’s my 2 MONTHS EXPERIENCE! 🙂

It’s been 2 months trying to figure out what works for my skin. I stopped using taz. It didn’t do much for my acne. Maybe I’ll return to using it sometime in the future. For now, I’m just using benzoyl peroxide. This week, I tried using it in the morning and night. My skin wasn’t that dry from using it twice a day. Just a little bit. It wasn’t too bad. I’ve only been applying a thin layer of product over my skin and letting it dry. It dries very quick since it’s a thin layer of product. It seems to work well under my morning SPF too. It works pretty well because using sunscreen alone makes my skin appear and feel so oily and greasy. I’m still using La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 for outdoors and Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 indoors (until I finish it). The benzoyl peroxide helps to keep my oily skin under control during the day. But, I plan to use benzoyl peroxide twice a day on and off. Only when I feel like it, haha.

My results from using benzoyl peroxide this week has been really good. My acne has definitely lessened. My skin is finally clearing up. FINALLY. Benzoyl peroxide seems to be the answer. I’m thinking about switching my face wash to something that contains benzoyl peroxide too. Just try it out again and see if it works better this time. So I stopped using benzoyl peroxide once at night this week. My skin started to freak out and developed pimples. I guess I can’t go a day without using benzoyl peroxide just yet. I skipped an application because I was dead tired, lol. But, now I’m back. I’m trying my best to keep applying it regularly. It seems to help cut down the oil, and my skin looks better when I use it. If this is what keeps my skin clear, this is what I’m going to use.

Don’t forget to check out my previous posts!

Restarting Tret & My First Week Experience

My Week 2 Results With Tret. Changes I’ve Made.

My Week 3 BP Results!

1 MONTH Results with BP!

1 Month + 1 Week Using BP & Some Changes I Made This Week!

1 Month + 2 Weeks Experience!

1 Month + 3 Weeks Experience!

1 Month + 2 Weeks Experience!

My Experience with Taz 🙂

I’m officially back to using taz!! I started off the first week using taz twice a week. The next week (which is this week), I tried using it every single day. I skipped a day. I’ve used taz for a total of 8 times already. For the first 2 days this week using taz, I noticed more breakouts popping up in my breakout-prone areas. These pimples were not tiny. They were large deep under the skin pimples that could not be popped! I couldn’t do anything about them but leave them alone until they were ready to POP! They popped on their own too. D*mn! They were painful! And they all left an acne mark behind. Ugh! After this week, I’m left with acne marks and smoother skin. Yesssss, smoother skin. My skin actually does look clearer. I’m guessing this is the purging process I’m going through. My skin does look considerably better than before. It looks less bumpy and less textured. It sucks that I’m left with acne marks, but they’ll eventually go away as the months go by. I hope. I’m going to stick it out, hold on, and hope all gets better. And, by the way, there was a slight burning sensation to my skin after 5 days of application (for this week). I’m still going to push it through because it’s not too bad. I didn’t skip a day of taz because of this. The reason why is to incorporate benzoyl peroxide into my routine (not as a spot treatment, as an all-over acne treatment). I used benzoyl peroxide last night and a lot of my pimples decreased in size. It still seems like my skin still needs benzoyl peroxide to be clear. It helps to kill the bacteria and keeps my skin from exploding with more acne. Taz is working, I guess, but I’m getting a feeling a combination of benzoyl peroxide and taz is where it’s at for my skin.

Back to Sunscreens…

As for sunscreen, I know I did an update on sunscreens last week. I mentioned using La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100 and Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++. Well, one part of that changed. I’m still using La-Roche Posay SPF 100. I stopped using Canmake. My skin just didn’t like Canmake. The texture of the sunscreen is soft, smooth, and dries on the skin nicely. But, I noticed my nose clogging up, and it made my skin feel gross by the end of the day. It just didn’t work for me. As for La Roche-Posay SPF 100, this is slowly becoming my main sunscreen. It can feel greasy on the skin sometimes, but I’m not having any breakout issues with it as of late. Hmmm! This one may work out. Honestly, I’m just looking for a sunscreen that doesn’t break me out. Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 causes breakouts (the last time I used it). Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 is OK. I noticed some pimples from it last time, but those breakouts could be from something else. I tried it again, and it was decent. Maybe I’ll use what I have left indoors. I don’t really need SPF 100 indoors. I’m trying to use up all of the sunscreens I have too before purchasing more/new ones. La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50 looks awful on my skin. Yuck! It’s so thick, too much of a white cast, and dries the crap out of my skin. I can go on and on about the sunscreens I have, but those are a few thoughts that popped up in my mind, lol.

That’s it for this week! My skin care routine is minimal, which makes my life so much easier. Hopefully all goes well next week! See everyone there! 🙂

Did you miss out?? 👇🏻

Restarting Tret & My First Week Experience

My Week 2 Results With Tret. Changes I’ve Made.

My Week 3 BP Results!

1 MONTH Results with BP!

1 Month + 1 Week Using BP & Some Changes I Made This Week!